Furnace for treating ores.



N0. 687,9!8. Patented Dec; 3, l90|.

F, B. numa. 'FUBNACE FOR TREATING OBES.

(Application filed Feb. 27, 1901.) (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT rerun.

FRANK B. DURR, OF TACOMA, WASHINGTON.

FURNACE FOR TREATING ones srnoirxcli'rron forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,918, dated December a, 190 1. Application filed February 27, 1901. Serial No. 49,160. (No model.)

To 02% whom it may concern: Be it known that I, FRANK B. DURR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tacoma,

in the county of Pierce and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furnaces for Treating Ores; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the infvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in furnaces for treating ores, and is more par- 'ticularly designed as an improvement in furnaces of the reg'enerator type.

The object of the present invention is to provide a furnace of the character stated which is extremely simple in construction and while operating on the principle of the ordinary 'regenerator-furnace is of such nature as q to greatly economize in the consumption of j fuel, thereby reducing the running expenses of the furnace to a minimum.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a furnace designed especially for the use of wood as a fuel and in such quantities as to readily secure the necessary oxidizing temperature for matting the ores and also one in which the products of combustion are thoroughly utilized, so that none of the heat is wasted.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as the nature of the improvements is better understood, the invention consists, substantially, in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement 'of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of a furnace constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan View thereof on the line E F, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View of the furnace on the line C D, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar view onthe line A B Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, G designates the hearth of the herein-described furnace, which hearth is of the usual construction, and arranged at each end of the hearth G is a bridge-wall 7", extending above the plane of the hearth and in close relation to an arch or roof K. The latter completely covers the hearth G and projects beyond the bridgewalls f, and by reason of the close relation of the latter to the arch Ka throat is formed at each end of the hearth for the admission of the heat, as will be more fully explained later. The arch K is provided with openings 3', through which the ore to be treated is introduced to the furnace, and said openings may be provided with suitable hoppers K, having feed-controlling devices for directing the ore to the openings j. The hearth G is also provided with a series of puddling-holes m, and is further provided with a tap-hole a, through the medium of which the matte may be drawn from the hearth when desired.

Located beneath each of the bridge-walls f K, which partitions are spaced from and lie in parallel relation to the supporting-walls of the hearth G, and by reason of such constrnction a regenerator-chamber C is formed at each end of said hearth Gr. Each of the regenerators O is filled with a checker-work of brick c, the top of which terminates at a point substantially in horizontal alinement with the hearth G, and a fuel-space A is thereby provided at the top of each of said regenerators to constitute the fire-chambers of the furnace. At the bottom of each of the regenerators O a flue d is provided, which lines are in communication with similar lines 01, formed at the bottom of auxiliary regenorator-chambers O, and said auxiliary regenerators are arranged at the outer sides of the regenerators O and located in the same plane therewith. A series of spaced pillars or supports e are located immediately beneaththe partitions K; for upholding the same, and arranged within each of the regenerators C is a checker-work of brick 0, designed for absorbing any heat which may pass from the regenerators 0. Each of the auxiliary regenerators O has at its upper end an air-inlet I), having suitable controlling means for regulating the inflow of air under pressure from any suitable source, and extending upwardly from each of said auxiliary regenerators is a stack L, provided with a cut-off i for conessary for operating the furnace.

ducting away the products of combustion from the auxiliary regenerators.

The regenerators O are provided with openings O for the introduction of fuel to the fire-chambers A.

The operation of the herein-described furnace is as follows: Fuel being introduced to the fire-chamber A at one end of the furnace, the cut-off i in the stack L immediately adjacent is closed and the inlet 1) at said end is opened. The cut-off 1 in the stack L at the opposite end is opened and the inletb at said end is closed. Air therefore fiows to the auxiliary regenerator O at the end of the furnace wherein the fire is burning, through the fines cl (1 to the regenerator 0, through the fire-chamber A and over the hearth G to the regenerator O and auxiliary regenerator G at the opposite end of the furnace,and discharges through the stack L thereat. The fuel being preferably wood and being fed, preferably, in small quantities and'at frequent intervals to the fire-chamber generates an intense heat, thereby obtaining asufficient temperature for oxidizing the ore on the hearth G and producing a matte, and at the same time the escaping heat from the hearth G on its way to the stack L is absorbed by the briclrchecker-work in the regenerator and auxiliary regenerator at the end of the furnace opposite to the fire. The checker-work in said regenerators thereby becomes highly heated, and when it is desired to reverse the furnace the air coming from the inlet 17, which under the conditions just described was closed, is heated to a high degree previons to reaching the fire, and consequently effects a large saving in the fuel nec- Such reversal is accomplished by opening the cut-off t, whichwas previously closed, and closing the inlet 1), which was previously open. Fuel is then fed to the fire-chamber A at the opposite end of the furnace, and the cut-off 't' at such end is closed, while the air-inlet b at said end is opened. The incoming air then passes through the auxiliary regenerator G and regenerator C, where it becomes highly heated, as just described, before reaching the fire-chamber A and after passing through the latter crosses over the hearth G to the opposite regenerator C and auxiliary regenerator O to the stack L of the latter. ThlS alternate flow of the heat is continued through the operation of the furnace, and it will thus be seen that the ore is effectually treated, while but a minimum amount of fuel is necessary for securing the necessary temperature for the oxidation of the ore.

The saving in fuel is deemed an advantageous feature of the present invention and is made possible by the use of the auxiliary regenerators G, which may be of any number and which absorb the heat escaping from the regenerators C and heat the air to a high degree before reaching the fire. The storing of the heat in the brick checker-work opposite to the fire-chamber which is working renders it possible to quickly start the fire in the cham-- ber adjacent to such checker-work and maintain the same with but small quantities of fuel.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

In a regenerator-furnace, the combination with a hearth, of regenerators arranged at the ends of said hearth and extending below the plane thereof, a support for solid fuel arranged at the upper end of each of said regenerators and lying in substantially the same horizontal plane as said hearth but exterior to and below the top of the bridge-walls of the latter, auxiliary regenerators arranged adjacent to said regenerators, said regenerators being provided at their lower ends with communicating flues, the auxiliary regenerators being provided at their upper ends with air-inlets,stacks communicating with the auxiliary regenerators, and cut-offs arranged in said stacks.

FRANK B. DURR.

Witnesses:

O. H. HOLMES, A. A. KNIGHT. 

